Austria Lustenau v Altach

Austria Lustenau are currently on a 10-game winless streak – the longest of any Bundesliga club – dating back to the end of August. The last team they beat following a promising start to their first top-flight campaign since the turn of the century was Altach in the Vorarlberg derby. Altach (ninth) have fared better than local rivals Lustenau (eighth) in the intervening period, with three wins and 11 points in total, but both teams are looking to be likely candidates for a relegation battle come the spring.

Austria Lustenau coach Markus Mader and Altach counterpart Miroslav Klose will both be without a suspended defender for this crunch clash, with centre-back Darijo Grujcic out for the home side and left-back Nosa Iyobosa Edokpolor unavailable for the visitors. On the injury front, forward Anthony Schmid (bruise) and left-back Tobias Berger (tendonitis) are recent losses for Lustenau after sustaining injuries last week; the same can be said of Altach full-back Manuel Thurnwald, who is out with an unknown problem.

Before the reverse fixture, the two teams had not faced each other in the league since they were both in the second tier in 2013/14. If you take into account the last six meetings, the head-to-head record is even with two wins apiece and two draws. With two of the leakiest defences in the league, we think the wisest bet is to back both teams to score: after all, the two sides have both scored and conceded in six of their last seven league matches.

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Hartberg v Rapid Vienna

Bottom club Hartberg host a Rapid side who have seen a reasonable upturn in form since sporting director Zoran Barisic took over as head coach for a third time.

Hartberg managed to earn a point last time out against a Lustenau side who cannot buy a win, but although they have proven tricky for Rapid to overcome in the past, they have also been a stronger proposition at home in previous seasons. This term, the East Styrian side have not celebrated a home win since beating then basement club Ried on 27 August, and they have been defeated 10 times in their 15 Bundesliga games overall, leaving them now two points adrift at the foot of the table.

Rapid have not exactly boomed since Barisic’s return, but they have moved back into the all-important top six after three wins and a draw from his five games in charge, and a professional display in victory over LASK last weekend gives the Green & White fans the hope of a major turning point. Rapid have the recent record on their side; they dismantled Hartberg in a rearranged fixture at the end of October, putting five goals past their opponents and re-igniting their forwards’ firepower. The capital club have picked up more points on the road than at home this season, and in Guido Burgstaller they have one of the league’s highest scorers, even if he should have bagged more than the 10 goals to his name thus far.

Despite enduring a fairly difficult start to the season, we think Rapid’s upward trajectory and Hartberg’s home woes will mean that it’s the visitors who finish 2022 on a high with all three points on Saturday.

Austria Klagenfurt v Salzburg

Challengers Sturm Graz’s draw against Altach last weekend means that perennial Bundesliga winners Red Bull Salzburg are guaranteed to head into the winter break top of the pile. Matthias Jaissle’s charges will surely be grateful for the cushion as they return to the scene of one of only two defeats suffered in the league last season: the Red Bulls succumbed to a surprise 2-1 loss to then recently promoted Austria Klagenfurt last November.

But even though the Carinthians are having another outstanding campaign, it is hard to foresee them repeating the heroics of last season at the Wörthersee Stadion: they tend to fare significantly worse on home turf and have lost seven of the last 10 games in front of their own fans, compared to only two on the road. Add to that the suspension of defender Nicolas Wimmer, and it really does look like a tough prospect indeed.

Salzburg, meanwhile, have won six away games in a row – for the first time under Matthias Jaissle’s management – and have seen their injury situation improve, with the duo of Nicolás Capaldo and Fernando are the only two first-team regulars still sidelined. And in terms of head-to-head, they avenged the aforementioned defeat last season by registering a 6-0 rout on their Championship Round visit to Klagenfurt. Our recommendation would be to back the Red Bulls to take all three points in this match and sign off for the three-month winter break – one of the longest in Europe – with a victory.

Austria Vienna v Wolfsberg

Considering they were docked three points before the season had even begun, Austria Vienna’s autumn campaign could certainly have gone worse: the Violets currently sit in seventh with 20 points and would be up in fourth – above city rivals Rapid Vienna – had it not been for the deduction. Wolfsberg’s campaign, however, has been disastrous. A regular European contender in recent years, the Wolves have lost nine of their 15 games and currently occupy 10th spot in the 12-team division.

Neither side has any fresh injuries – but they both have some long-term absentees to contend with: Austria Vienna forwards Muharem Huskovic, who was involved in a serious traffic accident in October, and Marko Raguz, who is carrying a knock, will not be involved for the capital club. The absences are predominantly in the defensive department for the Carinthian outfit, where regulars Adis Jasic (right-back) and central defender Simon Piesinger (centre-back) will both miss out.

Austria Vienna have undoubtedly enjoyed the better head-to-head record in their recent meetings with Wolfsberg: Manfred Schmid’s side have won five of their last seven league clashes and the last three home matches against the Wolves. But despite being favourites, Austria Vienna have drawn (five) almost as many games as they have won (six) this season. Rather than betting on the Violets to win outright, we would recommend the safer option of backing them on a draw no bet.

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